I'm not a quitter.......

[caty]

There is a small group of members here that, I have to say, I'm am thoroughly disappointed in. The first two years of President Obama's presidency, he had to fight the "proud party of no". Now he has to fight a majority of rethugs in the congress who extort our base by threatening the unemployed and the life of social programs that millions of Americans desperately need. There's a saying: "It's hard to drain the swamp when you're up to your ass in alligators". Well, President Obama is up to his ass in teabaggers plus rethugs who are terrified of them.

I've read posts stating they have given up, will not vote again, will vote for another candidate other than Obama but not a rethug (throw THAT vote away).

If anything, what has happened since President Obama took office should empower his base. He may be president, but he is still only one man, with the help of loyal Democratic congressmen and senators, fighting the evil right and traitorous Blue Dog Democrats. We have seen just how ruthless the opposition is. Instead of throwing in the towel and crying over spilt milk, we should be mad as hell and ACTING like it. If we let what is happening weaken us, we are doomed. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and I see some weak links here.

We need some good ideas from some of our more savvy members on what we should do to fight harder. Ideas for email campaigns and other ways to get the word out and encourage voters.

Take advantage of email addresses for the president, your congressmen, and your senators and tell them what you want.

I sure as hell am NOT going to let a bunch of millionaires, billionaires, and right wing wackos take me down without a fight.

[Bluerthanblue]

1. k&r

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I've learned I can accomplish more at the local level

And I believe that's where the real battle is. Our daily lives are far more impacted by state and local level politics than by what happens in DC. So that's where I'm focusing my energies.

As for 2012, I live in a state that has chosen the republican presidential candidate every election since 1968. So my vote for a Democrat doesn't count. In other words, it doesn't really make any difference who I vote for in the presidential race. If I lived in a battleground state, I would feel differently. But at this point, any help or contribution I make to President Obama's re-election campaign isn't going to make any difference. In November 2012, I am going to be a lot more concerned about who is elected to represent me in the state capital.

[Sherman A1]

17. Agreed & Well Said

The OP is more than entitled to their opinions and to choose how they vote or not vote and I certainly respect their choice and would not be critical of any decision they make. That Said......................



I am also entitled to my opinion and my choice to vote or not vote for any particular office and I would hope that (although exchanges in recent threads seem to prove this point incorrect), my choices are respected as well.

[caty]

24. Your vote does count.

The total vote count is important to show what percentage of Americans voted for what party.

bush/chaney will always be remembered as the ones who LOST the popular vote and are suspected of stealing the election in Florida.

Do you really have anything better to do on election day? Wouldn't it be great to walk out of the polls knowing you did all that you could do?

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. I'll be voting for every Democrat running for state and local offices

Now tell me why I should care that Bush/Cheney didn't win the popular vote - they moved into the WH anyway, didn't they?

[elocs]

3. The next president will either be Barack Obama or the Republican nominee. That's it.

If a Republican wins the presidency it is likely the will not only have the House, but the Senate as well. Take if from someone who lives in Wisconsin and has seen what happens when Republicans control everything. That would be the final nail in the coffin for the US of A.

Even if less than perfect or far less than perfect, any Democrat is light years better than any Republican.

[xchrom]

4. Unrec

[SidDithers]

5. Rec...nt

Sid

[inna]

6. "and I see some weak links here." - ahem, who?

pretty disgusting OP, imo - and certainly very divisive, to say the least.

[patrice]

7. What we need most are canvassers, then home-parties & phone callers. nt

[Taverner]

8. Is Obama our Gustav Stresemann?

Look up that name...

Some of the parallels are way off, and some are spot on...

[walldude]

9. You are not a quitter and I am not a doormat.

So how do we meet in the middle because if you think I'm going to let the Democrats walk all over me like the Republicans you are sadly mistaken.

[emilyg]

11. Good for you. I feel like u do.

[Sherman A1]

20. +1, Agreed & Well Said!

:toast:

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. +1

[kentuck]

10. How is it possible not to be just a little disappointed?

I cannot understand that?

[Liberal Veteran]

15. I think how we react to disappointment is important.

If something is very important to you then redouble your efforts.

Dropping out or becoming a chronic pessimist gives the opposition a victory by default.

In short, we are really good at being negative, but we aren't so great when it comes to cheering for our own team and strengthening our resolve.

[roguevalley]

12. for godsake. he had a majority in both houses and still pissed it all

away. Sorry we don't agree but that's democracy. I don't have to and you don't either but I don't post whimpers about it. I accept it. You should too.

[Raine]

18. On point

the OP says Obama is "just one man" ... he wasn't just one man in 2008 when he had the majority in both Senate and House but still thru it all away.

[Liberal Veteran]

19. Not entirely.

The blue dogs and conservative wing of our own party pissed made the "majority" practically meaningless.

That and spineless leadership in the Senate caused as many problems as the solid wall of obstruction from the republiturds.

[roguevalley]

28. don't get me wrong. I LOVED him. I still want to love him but I'm

not interested in enabling him. I remember when the blue dogs were the majority of the party and still Johnson got his way. He KICKED THEIR ASS! He didn't campaign for blue dogs like Blanche Lincoln and cut the lib challenger off at the knees like Obama. They don't want to win. Fuckers. We all lose, the country goes to hell and they smooch each other. My loyalty is to the country. And my memories of dems past make it impossible to sit and say that he's doing the job we sent him there to do. He isn't.

Any anger in this post is for my country, not this list. I remember when America cared and dems had balls.

[Raine]

31. Exactly correct

this old blue dog Democrat excuse just doesn't cut it. It didn't stop Johnson, any real leader should be able to make those blue dogs heel, bring them into line. Johnson would twist some arms, withold things they want for their state etc.

[Donnachaidh]

13. unrec

so very big tent to slam Dems with dissenting opinions. :eyes:

[Raine]

14. Your smileys are cute but that doesn't make up for

your head in the sand post. :thumbsdown:

[Keith Bee]

16. I'll continue my support.....

...if every last one of our troops is the fuck OUT OF IRAQ on New Year's Day.

[caty]

22. The republicans and the teabaggers

are counting on people not going to the polls because they don't think that their vote will count. And as far as the first two years are concerned, we didn't have a big enough majority to get the votes needed to get a lot done. There's a big difference between a small majority and a large majority. The 60 vote rule slows things down and having some of our own (Blue Dogs) voting with the republicans doesn't help. That why it's so important to stand up for our party and vote in every election, whether we think it matters or not. This is a battle and lagging behind isn't going to get us anywhere.

[Shagbark Hickory]

23. Impossible to really know whats going on behind the scenes. All I can judge him on are the results.

[caty]

25. All my life I've heard that

if you don't use your right to vote, you lose the right to complain. No vote is ever wasted, even if the other party wins.

[provis99]

29. and I've heard

If you vote for a guy, you lose the right to complain about him (no buyer's remorse allowed). So we're fucked either way.

[caty]

30. I think it's the opposite.

If you vote for a guy, and he does not live up to his campaign promises, you have more of a right to complain. I just don't happen to believe that Obama and our other Democratic officials have had the opportunity to work with a "sane" opposition. Anyone who brags about being "the party of no" does not really care about his country or fellow Americans.

We have to understand that politics is the art of compromise. No party can have it their way 100%. When Democrats have to deal with a party that doesn't want to compromise, the whole country suffers. The reason we can't give up is because the repubs and the teabaggers are not going to give up.

The only weapon we have is our votes. We may not get a large enough majority in one or two elections. It may take several. But I see a lot of people who usually vote for repubs who will switch to voting for Democrats, or not vote at all, when these republican bills start to weaken their way of life through cuts in medicare, their children's health and food programs, and their children's education.

I would rather fight than put my hands up and surrender.

[Scurrilous]

26. K & R

:thumbsup: